One of the major players in Wake Sports on the Island is the Sproat Lake Water Sports Association (also known as Sproat Lake Ski Club). Every year they put on a number of events, from clinics to competitions. And every year a vote is made for a new club president. This year we have the pleasure of hearing from the new prez, Kris McNichol. I’ve personally had the privilege of knowing Kris for a few years now and enjoy spending time on the lake with him. His knowledge, leadership and energetic qualities will be great assets to the club’s future.

Mr. McNichol, tell everyone a little about yourself?

Kris – Well I own a few companies, CPI Pumps and Irrigation, Climax Roofing and Halien Dive Shop all located in Parksville. I have three daughters ages 16,14 and 10. We are a very busy family with wakeboarding, fastball, volleyball and snowboarding.

How long you been a member of the club?

Kris – I’m going on my third year at
Sproat Lake Water Association

Why did you join?

Kris – We have a pretty active family which loves all sports and I knew a couple people who where involved at the lake and thought it would be a great fit for my family and I. It’s been 3 years now and I have loved every minute of it. When you have approximately 40 families all part of a club that have a greater goal in teaching and passing on what they have learned in water sports to new and younger people, you can’t get better than that.

Were you nominated to become prez or did you volunteer?

Kris – I was nominated and gratefully accepted. I think when you’re a part of a club it’s always a good thing to get involved and leave your mark, as they say. I will try and do the best job as I can and hope that I’m half as good as the past Presidents that I have followed.

Is there anything new and exciting you would like to see happen at the club for 2012?

Kris – Well, we are hosting the Provincials again this year Aug 17-19. I hope the weather turns out great and it’s a huge success. Also we are in the process of maybe adding to are jumps/kickers etc… With any luck everyone will be able to ride something new this year!!

How are you going to handle being prez of the club and head of security in the event of a competition?

Kris – (lol) Well, I hope I do a better job of being the president than I did at being head of security last year. You know on the serious side, we host a tournament every year and we have a lot of fun, but there always seems to be a handful of people that want to wreck it. I don’t get it because there used to be sand castles in Parksville and it was excellent until a handful of people wrecked it, so there is no sand castles. I grew up over on the mainland and there used to be Peachfest until a handful of people wrecked it, and it got cancelled. You go to Game 7 of a hockey game and what happens there?? The people who are getting robbed of fun are the young people. I’ve been to Peachfest, I’ve been to the sand castles I’ve been to those places before a handful of people wrecked it,and it was a lot of fun. So the only thing I can say is have fun but don’t wreck a good thing……I’ll leave it that.

With all the boat issues with the club boat over last year do you see a new boat in the future?

Kris – Well, honestly, I know there were a few issues with the boat but nothing was very major. I hope the boat lasts a few years more so we can concentrate on other issues before we buy a new boat, but man does the new X-Stars look good!!! MasterCraft you can thank me later for the free plug. Haha

Ok, it’s almost time. As of February 1st 2012 the new VI Wake Magazine site will be up and running. Lot’s of extra’s like a forum for selling your old gear, online store, chat with the team, archive of videos and more. We are now working with two other brilliant Island writers. Don’t miss out. The new website will be http://www.viwake.com or you can click on the link on this blog over on the right hand side.

Canadian wakeboarder Aaron Rathy tests positive for banned substance at Pan Am Games

Last Saturday, Aaron Rathy was signing autographs and posing for pictures under a cloudless Mexican sky after winning a silver medal. Less than a week later, the Canadian wakeboarder was being forced to give it back after testing positive for a banned substance at the Pan American Games.

The 23-year-old from Nanaimo, B.C., was stripped of his medal after one of his samples returned evidence of methylhexaneamine, a banned stimulant he said he took accidentally after buying a supplement at a store seen in malls across Canada.

“I am deeply sorry and was completely unaware of the banned substance in the OxyElite Pro I had taken,” he said in a statement relayed by Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada on Friday. “I purchased the product at a GNC health food store, and to my knowledge [it] was all safe to take.”

According to Canada’s leading watchdog, though, Rathy should have known better.

“We have put out an athlete advisory to notify athletes that it [methylhexaneamine] is a substance that can be found in both dietary supplements as well as in energy drinks,” said Rosemary Pitfield, director, executive operations and public affairs with the Canadian Centre for Ethics In Sport. “It is often not on the label, and we always warn athletes, first of all, that they really shouldn’t be taking supplements.”

If they do decide to take supplements, she said, they should be very, very cautious.

“Pharmaceutical products are very different from supplement products in the way that they’re manufactured — they’re much more regulated,” Pitfield said. “Supplement manufacturers come from all over the world and their ingredients come from all over the world, and it’s not as rigid in terms of the laws and certification around supplements that are around pharmaceuticals.”

Rathy will have to return his medal.

“The athlete is cooperating fully, has accepted responsibility, and apologized for the inadvertent use of a banned substance,” the Canadian Olympic Committee said in a release. “While the COC does not condone the use of banned substances, we are supporting the athlete’s right to a fair hearing and due process.”

Methylhexaneamine is a mild stimulant commonly used in nasal decongestants and as a dietary supplement. It was only banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2010.

Rathy is not the first athlete to be disqualified from the Pan Am Games. A Chilean weightlifter, a Brazilian runner and a Puerto Rican mountain biker were removed from competition before the Games began for failed drug tests.

Meat has also been deemed a hazard in Mexico, where authorities conceded some farmers still inject a steroid — clenbuterol — into their cattle. The result is that athletes face the risk of consuming tainted meat on the streets in Guadalajara, and Canadian and American team officials warned their teams not to eat outside the athletes village.

Rathy won the first of 10 Canadian medals at Boca Laguna Water Ski Club, a private, man-made facility with a 750-metre stretch of water dredged inland about an hour’s drive south of Guadalajara. And he was a popular medal winner, happily posing for pictures with volunteers at the venue after his second-place finish.

Wakeboarding is his full-time job, with as many as a dozen sponsors helping to fund his travel all across the world.

“I flew, like, 250,000 miles last year alone,” he said the day of his medal win. “I’ve been everywhere. I’ve spent a lot of time in Australia, a bit of time in Asia. I’ve been to the [United Arab Emirates] in the last few years. All over Canada and the U.S.”

July 28th I had the pleasure of heading up once again to my favorite place to shred, the Sproat Lake Watersports Association. I had been hired to put on a clinic to coach the up and coming wakeboarders of the club. Just like the previous year I was welcomed like family which ment a lot considering I was bringing up my new family to join in the fun. This was my son Ryder’s first camping trip, first boat ride and first time experiencing wakeboarding. For my fiance it was a chance for her to see the friends and family that I have met during my career in wakeboarding.

The turnout was great for the kids, 19 of them to be exact. Ages ranging from 7 to 17 and all sorts of levels, boys and girls. It truly is great to see such a large group of young kids taking a liking and trying to push themselves in wakeboarding. Everyone put 100% into learning new tricks. We had kids learning to get up for the first time, learning to jump and learning some more technical surface tricks. And for the few really brave kids, they learned how to hit their first slider. The club had built a fun box which was perfect for all to hit. Not to forget the few club members that came out to drive the boat, without them it would have been a long day.

After a couple of days of learning it was competition time. I unfortunately wasn’t able to make it but I was proud to see my fellow security detail members stepping it up again this year! Headed by Kris Mcnichol these neon yellow t-shirt wearing men covered the grounds making sure everything ran smoothly and that the partying was done right. Hearing it through the grape-vine I heard it was quiet the party on the saturday night needing a little more enforcement then usual. Good job boys!

As for the comp, a good turnout as usual. Sponsors picked it up this year with Hello My Name Is Boardshop, Bill & Ted’s and Jay’s Lace It Up donating a ton of prizes. Wakeology added something new to the mix, donating a brand new wakeboard and more. Also new to the mix was BC Wake Boat Rentals. Rocking their 2011 Tige RZ2 their presents was welcomed by all. Surfing, wakeboarding and more was towed behind this beautiful machine. Another few guests of the comp that made my day was the attendance of Tyler Ham, Joey Ewing, Chris Ewing, Broody Combs and myself. All old pro’s from back in the day, we were offered the chance to head out and film for the cameras. Armed with an arsenal of riders a Master Craft from Kris Mcnichol and a couple other boats we sped off down the lake looking for flat water. Once found it was one of the best moments of the year for me. Being able to watch these guys again all shred together was definitely a highlight to the competition weekend. Still full of talent and battling rough water these guys showed that they still had it. The energy off the boat was amazing and I’m sure felt by the 6 boats tied up watching the fun. Look for video and pictures on tv in the near future.

Sproat Lake 2011 Pro Division

The competition wrapped up on the Sunday with a surprising finish. As there wasn’t enough pro riders there, they had bumped up the advanced division to pro. Jimmy Frandsen took first place with Tyler Hamm second and Brody Coombs third. Tyler Hamm after years of being away from the sport was still able to show off some of the sick tricks he’s known for and style. Tyler’s been busy working the fishing boats and recovering from several knee injuries. Brody after a knee injury last year was able to ride with his usual intensity. All in all it was a great show. Can’t wait to see the up and coming riders of the future comps.

Sproat Lake is hosting yet another wakeboard competition. This is by far the best comp for the Island and I highly recommend attending. It is open to all skill levels and you can almost always count on a good party for the saturday night. Live bands, dance floors and a wicked meal have been some of the highlights from the past years. Camping is available to a point and is usually around 15 for the night.

Contact Hello My Name Is Boardshop at info@hellomynameisboardshop.com for more information on the competition.

It’s sad to think that at one point we had our own Island Tour along with a BC tour and a Hyperlite tour running all at once. Now, we are left with one competition on the Island and not so many all across BC. There are many people out there that wish to see more comps and events. To those I say let’s see it! I myself am one of those and am as guilty as the rest for talking the talk but not walking the walk. It is my New Years resolution to see something done about the wake scene on the island. It all starts with only one comp. Then another is added, then another, then another. Sproat Lake is of course one of the best comps around. Even if your not riding you go to see friends. I encourage people to remember the good times and look forward to the future. Let’s set a goal for 3 events on the island a year and start from there. Feel free to write in and maybe just maybe we can find a group of people willing to put in the hard work to get this next year up and running.